Shock-absorber for self-propelled vehicles.



No. 889,678. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

0. B. HATFIELD. SHOCK ABSORBER F08 SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 23, 1906. I

-1 I Iii m M I- 8., m m M m n n l w u H 0 :w wvvw m I 0| lull I: III llucll l .I ll U 0 on v0 H v 7 7 w w m" a W m w wwaraze CHARLES BInATFIELD, orooRTLANn', NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR T HATFIELD MOTOR VEIlICLE COMPANY, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

. EHOCK-ABSORBER FOR SELF-ROPELLED VEHICLES.

ecifioation of Letters Patent. Patented one 2 1968.

Application filed. November 23, H66. Serial No. 344,72Q.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, (Jr- Antes B. HATFIELD, of Cortland, in the county of Cortland, in the State of New York, have invented new and Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the -folloW- ing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is alfull, clear, and exact descri tion. T 1is invention relates to certain improvements in's'elf-propelled vehicles, and refers more particularly to What is technically known as (shock-absorbers to prevent the sudden upward rebound of the body and its supporting frame by the reaction of the sup porting spr ngs incidental to the passage of the VQlIlC-XG over obstructions and uneven surfaces. 1 In machines this character it is customary tomount the "motor or motors upon the body orfisup orting frame and to transmit motion from t e motor shaft to the traction Wheels through the medium of one or more belts or chains, and inasmuch as the body and axles are movable vertically relatively to each'other, it is obvious'that the motor-shaft and axle of the traction wheels are alsd' movable vertically relatively to each other, thereby causin "more or less relative vertical movement otopposite ends of the 'driving'chain'orchains. f I

The essential object of my present inven I tion is to utilize one or'bbth of these chains as, one of the elements ofga shock ab sorber byassociating therewith a bearing which is spring tensioned 'in a vertical direc 1 tion against the chain intermediate the driving and driven elements, and to rovide means for regulatin the pressure Or the hearing against the chain toproperly adjust the resistanceto the sudden rebound or upward throw'of the body due to the reaction of the springs While the vehicle is passing over ob- 'structions and uneven surfacesfas previously mentioned. 1

A further obi'ect is to render these bearings pable of g'ui ing and retaining the chain or '0 upon 1ts drlvln and driven elements. Other objects an uses will be brought out in the following descri tion.

In the drawmgsigure 1 is a side elevation of a -oportion of a selii-propelled vehicle 7 equipped with my improvec shock absorber. Fig. 2 is a top plan-0f the same except that the body is removed to more clearly illusca be i trate the osition of the under-l in elements.

useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for.

imity to the I best seen in lugs? and 3.

Fig. 1s a perspective viewof due of the spring tensioned shock absorbing bearingsand chain gui es showing the adjacent portion or" the vehicle upon which it is-inounted. "Inorder to. clearly demonstrate the practicabilit ofmy invention, I have SllOWD the motor-s aft1as mounted upon the bodysupporting frame "2- and aseonnected by sprocket-chains 3- to the traction Wheels,

as i', forming a part of the running gear p of the vehicle. r

The motor-shaft 1 may be drivenhy any suitable motor or motors, as opposed vapor engines 5 best seen in Fig. 2, said motor -shaft being provided with suitable sprocket Wheels from which motion is transmitted by the chain belts -3- to addi tional, but somewhat larger sprocket Wheels 7- which are secured to the traction Wheels --4 in anv suitable manner not-3'5 necessary to herein illustrate or describe.

The body supporting frame -2-- is supported upon the axle, as -8, of the tran- 'tion-Wheels through the medium of the usual] interposed spring 9 partially shown in Fig. 1.

Extending parallel with, and in close pron axle 8-, l have shown pair of independently-movable rock-shafts --1 0'- having forwardly projeating rock arms- --11., each carrying a grooved roller hearing or sheave --l 2, said rock-arms- ,1'1 and their bearings 12. being sprin pressed. 3 upwardly against the underside of t e chains .-'3' by separate. coil springs ,5 13-, as

I The rock arms -1l-- preferably formed upon and integral W h, one end oi their, respective i'oelr-shefti-, -ellr--, said shafts heing journaledat their ends in suit able bearings -14-- which arejseeured to the axle -8-. 3 p

The springs 13'" are; coiled around their respective rock-shafts 'l0'- -,each spring" having one end enfiged with the under sideloo of the axle and its other end engaged with the under-side of its rock-ar1n 11 between the. uses of the rock-shaft and that of I the roller or sheave -12 so as to exert an, uplift or spring ressure upon the rook-armIL -E -1i to press the roller orsheave -12 firmly against the underside. offits chain -23, said rollers being preferably rno. e!

Cir

as previously stated, to receive their res ective chains, and thereby guide them in t ieir movements to retain them upon their re spective sprocket wheels.

It will be observed that l have shown the lower sides of the chains as somewhat loose or slack, and as deflected upwardly from a straight line between the driving and driven elements for the purpose of ailording a limited action of this part ofthe chain upon the shock-absorbing element, as the rock-arm -11 against the action of the spring l3. Y i

It will be seen that the rebound or sudden upward thrust of the body-supporting frame is always in a vertical direction, tendin to straighten out the lower sides of the sprocketchains 3 and that this tendency is resisted by the upward pressure of the bearings l2 to a degree corresponding to the tension of the springs 13, such tension being adjusted by giving one or more extra turns to either of its ends in a manner well known for tensierring th s class of springs.

z It is, of course, apparent that any excessive upward movement or rebound of the body-supporting frame from its normal posi- 'tion would increase the distance between the axes of the drivingand driven elements, and

would thereby tendto straighten out or take up the slack in the lower sides of the chain against which the sheaves or rollers -12 bear, and that by yieldingly pressing these rollers upwardly against the slack under sides of the chains, through the medium o; the springs 13-, the sudden upward thrust or rebound of the body-supportingframe is transmitted-to the springs 13, which are of sufficient tension to practically absorb-or resist such upward thrust or rebound. This resistance of the springs 13,

as transmitted through-the medium of the rock arms 1 1- and bearings 12, is of course, gradual, but sufficiently eiiective to prevent sudden or forcible upward thrust or rebound oi the" body -supporting ,frame, thereby removinglthe cause of one of the most objectionable experiences of riding in this class of vehicles.

The device herein shown and described is particularly simple in construction, and eflicrept in operation, but I have purposely omitted mangof the mechanisms commonly used in selt propelledvehicles for the purpose of moreclearly bringing out the essential features and objects of the shock absorber, which formsthe subject matter of this invention, and while all of the elements necessary to carry out these objects are clearly shown and described, I do not wish to limit myself to such structure as it is clearly evident that other structural elements may be substituted and their arrangement modi iied without departing from the spirit of this invention. l v

esters What I claim is:

1. In combination with. the body and running gear of a vehicle, a motor on the body, an endless belt for transmitting motion from the motor to one of the traction wheels, a

rock-arm pivoted near the axis of the wheel,

a roller on the rock-arm receiving and guiding the belt, and means for rocking said arm to press the roller-against the belt with suiticient force to deflect a portion thereof from a direct line to resist upward thrust or rebound of the body of the vehicle.

2. A shock absorber for seltpropelled vehicles, in combination with the rear axle of the vehicle, and traction wheels journaled on the axle, a sprocket wheel rotating with one of the traction wheels, a body and a spring interposed between the body and rear axle for supportin the body, a driving shaft mounted on the body and provided with a sprocket wheel, a sprocket chain connecting the sprocket wheels, a rock arm and fixed bearings therefor, secured to the axle, said roclcarm being provided with a bearing engaging the under side of the sprocket chain, and a spring for rocking the arm upwardly and pressing said bearing against the under side of the chain with sufficient force to defleet the latter upwardly from a straight line.

3. In combination with the running gear of a vehicle, said running gear being provided with a'rear axle and traction wheels, a motor on the body, means including a belt for transmitting motion from the motor to one of the traction. wheels, and a rock arm having one end pivoted. near the axle and its other end provided with a bearing and spring pressed upwardly to force said bearing against the under side of the belt with suilicient pressure to deflect said side of he belt upwardly from a straight line whereby the upward movement of the body relative to the running gear tends to straighten the lower side of the belt against the tension of the upwardly spring pressed arm.

4. In combination withthe running gear and body of a vehicle, and an interposed spring for supporting the body, a motor on .thebody, means including a belt for transmitting mot-ion from the motor to one of the traction wheels of the running gear, a rock arm having on end pivoted near the axle of the running gear, and its other end provided with a bea ing engaging the under side of the belt, ant yielding means for ressingxsaid roclcarm and bearing upward y with-suiticient pressure to deflect the under side of the belt from a straight line. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of November 1906.

CHARLES B. HATFIELD.

Witnesses H. CnAsn, MILBRED M. Norr. 

